Posted on 17 January
2014 | Gland, Switzerland: Cities around
the globe have received special recognition
by WWF for impressive actions on climate
change.
Thirty-four finalists
from 14 participating countries were selected
from among the 163 entrants in this year’s
Earth Hour City Challenge (EHCC). An expert
jury will now review the actions and commitments
reported by these cities and ultimately
identify one sustainability leader per country
for the National Earth Hour Capital Awards
to be presented on 27 March in Vancouver,
Canada.
The EHCC project aims
to mobilize action and support from cities
in the global transition towards a sustainable
future powered by renewable energy.
“It’s very inspiring
to see the increasing number of cities striving
to reduce their dependence on fossil fuels
and making great strides in the transition
towards a renewable energy future”, says
Carina Borgström-Hansson, PhD, Lead
for WWF’s Earth Hour City Challenge.
“Despite their commendable
efforts, cities can’t do it alone. If we
are to protect the world from dangerous
climate change while meeting human needs,
a radical shift in investment must take
place. In addition to local governments,
national policy-makers, businesses and major
financial institutions must be a part of
this transition”, says Borgström-Hansson.
WWF has worked closely
with ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability,
in mobilizing cities to join the challenge
and enabling their reporting through carbonn
Cities Climate Registry (cCCR).
“As a Main Partner,
ICLEI is proud to support WWF’s Earth Hour
City Challenge as it grows to become an
essential global initiative for rewarding
cities’ sustainability achievements through
the active participation of our Member Cities,
Regional Offices and through our global
reporting platform, carbonn Cities Climate
Registry,” says Gino Van Begin, Secretary
General of ICLEI.
These 34 cities are
considered contenders for the title Earth
Hour Capital 2014 for having demonstrated
a sincere commitment to the creation of
sustainable cities:
Belgium: Antwerp, Brussels
Capital Region, Ghent
Brazil: Belo Horizonte, Rio de Janeiro,
São Paulo
Canada: Edmonton, North Vancouver, Surrey
Colombia: Medellín, Monteria
Denmark: Copenhagen
Finland: Lappeenranta
India: Cochin, Coimbatore, Hyderabad
Indonesia: Semarang, Bogor
Mexico: Mexico City, Municipality of Aguascalientes,
Puebla
South Africa: Cape Town, Durban
South Korea: Seoul, Suwon
Sweden: Eskilstuna, Stockholm, Växjö
Thailand: Khunhan, Muangklang, Nongsamrong
USA: Boulder, Chicago, Cleveland
We Love Cities
WWF encourages people all over the world
to show their support for the impressive
efforts that cities are making towards sustainability,
and to participate in the We Love Cities
campaign, which goes live today. Web visitors
are invited to vote for their favorites
among the 34 finalist cities, and to share
the favorite aspects of these cities via
photos and videos. Visitors are also welcome
to submit suggestions for how the cities
can become even more sustainable.
